For a long time, the primary birthstone for the month of August was the beautiful green peridot. Accordingly, the ring that I’ve chosen for this August’s Jewel of the Month features a beautiful green … tourmaline. Ha! Fooled ya! Check out the new design in this video by A Thousand Facets. Absolutely stunning ring by…
gems
Flashback Friday: Pearls From the Past
The last day of June is a good excuse for one more post about the month’s birthstone, the pearl. I made this one-of-a-kind pair of pearl earrings in 2008. The pearls are set in 18K yellow gold and accented by 83 points of black diamonds (there are 100 points in a carat). It’s a much…
Beware of Nontraditional Gems in Engagement Rings
I’m both a fan and a designer of nontraditional engagement rings. (In fact, my first big jewelry design — before I was even in the jewelry business — was my own unusual ring.) Therefore, if you don’t want a diamond in your ring, I will happily come up with suggestions for you. That said, there…
Jewel of the Month: September’s Birthstone, Sapphire
Most people think of sapphire — September’s birthstone — as a blue gem, but it comes in a range of colors. Pink is one of my favorites. In fact, I used 262 one-millimeter pink sapphires in my Pink Elephant and Tipsy Writer Maneater ring. Nevertheless, with sapphires in mind, I decided to wear blue for…
Spinel Is a New August Birthstone
Well, hello spinel! Earlier this summer, two fine-jewelry trade groups — American Gem Trade Association and Jewelers of America — announced that spinel would join peridot as a birthstone for August. I love the vibrant yellow-green hue of peridot. I used it in my Susan chandelier-earring design. But peridot is always some shade of green,…
Jewel of the Month: Ruby Dangle Ring for ANZA Gems
July’s birthstone is the ruby, and, boy, do I have the ruby ring for you! It’s good-looking, has a good story and promotes a good cause. First I’ll give you the good story and explain the good cause. Monica Stephenson, the tall drink of water who writes the jewelry blog iDazzle, founded ANZA Gems in…
Ogling Opals
I’ve been at JCK’s LUXURY trade show since last Monday, and I’ve hardly left my booth! However, I did sneak out yesterday to go through the American Gem Trade Association’s ballroom because I need an aquamarine for a work in progress. To my surprise, I never got to the aquamarines. When I walked in the…
A South Sea Pearl to Welcome June
Picking out birthstone jewelry for people born in June is a Choose Your Own Adventure experience. The American Gem Society lists pearl and Alexandrite as June’s birthstones. The Gemological Institute of America opts for pearl, moonstone and Alexandrite. I’ve seen other sources that say pearl and moonstone are the two June gems, and others that…
Jewel of the Month: Diamond Micro Studs for Tender Ears
As a jewelry designer, I have a lot of earrings to choose from. As a midlife rebel, I decided I needed more piercings to accommodate the earrings. Since 2014, I’ve gone from the three lobe piercings I’ve had since the 1980s to eight total piercings, including lobe, tragus and conch. Due to Murphy’s Law, the…
Valentine’s Day/Anti-Valentine’s Day Countdown: #5 of 14
It’s National Wear Red Day today — part of the effort to raise awareness about women’s risk for heart attacks and strokes. Did you know that women often experience different symptoms than men do? The illustrations posted here are very helpful, but you should check out the comments too. It’s educational to read about individual…